Nature vs. Nurture Essay

Submitted By paigeturner4
Words: 348
Pages: 2

Nature, Nurture… or Both?
The question of whether it is nature or nurture which establishes human identity has been widely disputed over the years, and continues to be a controversial topic today. There is an extensive amount of evidence supporting both sides of the discussion, and although some distinguished scientists claim to support merely one point of view of the argument, nature and nurture undeniably both contribute to shaping who a person will become. Nativists believe that it is merely genetics and inherited characteristics which affect the development of an individual. Characteristics influenced by our genetic make-up include, among others, hair loss, intelligence and certain diseases, such as cancer. However, when we deeper evaluate it, most of these characteristics could also have been influenced by environmental factors and stimuli. Hair loss can easily be increased or decreased by hair care practices and stress, or lack thereof; intelligence can be inherited biologically, but can also be affected by environmental factors, such as a thorough education, life experiences, various parenting styles and home dynamics; and as for diseases such as cancer, environment plays a key role, from everyday diet to cigarette smoke. One cannot therefore conclusively state that nature plays a bigger role in the development of a person. Empiricists, on the other hand, believe that environmental factors and stimuli are at the source of human behavior. Nevertheless, if we put what some of the Empiricists